Kenya tops Africa’s sports betting craze in latest data

“High level of sports betting engagement: 52 percent of respondents have placed a football bet in the past 12 months, rising to 64 percent in Kenya, 60 percent in Ghana, and 58 percent in South Africa, but dropping to 25 percent in Egypt,” said GeoPoll.

The surge is most visible during major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, when betting typically spikes alongside global interest in the sport and is attributed to the high mobile and internet penetration.

The 2026 World Cup, which kicked off on June 11, is an expanded 48-team tournament taking place across the US, Canada and Mexico. It will span 104 matches over 39 days, compared with 64 games in the previous edition four years ago. Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan are making their World Cup debuts.

The data also shows that Kenya is not just betting more often, but engaging more intensely with football.

GeoPoll findings indicate that 67 percent of respondents in Kenya watch three or more matches per week, the highest heavy viewer segment across all markets surveyed. The survey also shows that the number of Kenyans who expressed interest in watching the World Cup grew from 86 percent in 2022 to 94 percent in 2026.

This sustained exposure to European leagues, Champions League fixtures and international tournaments has helped normalise betting as part of the matchday experience.

At halftime, that integration becomes more visible. About 27 percent of Kenyan respondents say they place or review bets during the interval, higher than most regional peers, alongside widespread mobile engagement through score checking, social media discussion and live updates.

This reflects a broader shift in viewing behaviour where the 15-minute break is no longer downtime, but an extension of the betting and second-screen ecosystem that now defines how many Kenyans experience football during global tournaments like the World Cup.

“One in five respondents (19 percent) report placing or reviewing bets during the interval, rising to 27 percent in Kenya and 19 percent in South Africa, where in-play and half-time betting markets are more actively integrated into the viewing ecosystem,” said GeoPoll.

“This reinforces the growing convergence between football consumption and sports betting, where watching and wagering increasingly operate as part of a single, continuous experience.”

Regulators and public health advocates have increasingly raised concerns about the rapid expansion, warning that aggressive marketing and easy digital access could be accelerating problem gambling, particularly among younger users.

The government is pushing to emulate developed economies like the United Kingdom, Malta, and Singapore by having tighter betting rules.

This includes compelling key personnel at betting firms to have licences.

Betting companies face higher operating costs following plans to introduce a licence fee of up to Sh300,000 for key employees.

GeoPoll surveyed 3,274 people across Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Cameroon, and Egypt in June 2026 to capture how the continent is experiencing the World Cup, from viewing habits and team loyalties to betting behaviour and broadcast awareness.